CATEGORY BOUNDARIESFor N.A. Big Game accepted in the Boone
and Crockett Records Program

The Boone and Crockett Clubs big-game records keeping deals
only with certain native North American big game animals. For
such purposes, the southern boundary is defined as the south boundary
of Mexico. Only cougar, jaguar and whitetail deer of the recognized
trophy categories range south of this boundary, and only the first
two reach recordable size south of Mexico. The northern limit
for trophies such as polar bear and walrus is the limit of the
continent and associated waters held by the United States, Canada
or Greenland. Continental limits and held waters define east and
west boundaries for all categories.

A number of species show geographical variation so that there
are smaller varieties inhabiting some parts of the continent and
larger ones elsewhere. For example, mature moose from Wyoming,
Montana, Idaho, etc., of the Shiras variety, although they
may grow large and beautiful racks, are unable to compete with
the monstrous moose from the Alaska-Yukon region. So it has been
necessary to break up the total ranges of some of the species
into various categories in order to provide proper recognition.

The Records Committee has, over the years, gradually defined
the areas from which trophies may be entered and has modified
these boundaries in some cases when more thorough knowledge of
the distribution of the animals in question has become known.
The Committee creates new categories from time to time. Other
new trophy categories have been proposed, but the Committee maintains
a conservative stance in reviewing such proposals. New categories
are considered only when the following conditions are met:
1) there are extensive geographical areas where the proposed animals
occur;
2) the animals occur in good numbers;
3) there are suitable boundaries that can be drawn;
4) the game department(s) managing the proposed class are in favor
of setting up such a new category.

The following material will review the categories for which there
are geographically defined boundaries. Obviously these boundaries
must be observed in the taking of a trophy in order for it to
be considered for that category. As a general rule, the categories
are set so there is virtually no chance of a larger category specimen
(or a cross-bred animal) being taken within the boundary for the
smaller category. While this may exclude some deserving specimens
of the smaller category that are resident in the larger categorys
range, it is a price that must be paid to keep the smaller categories
pure.

The big brown bears are found on Kodiak and Afognak Islands,
the Alaska Peninsula, and eastward and southeastward along the
coast of Alaska. The smaller interior grizzly is found in the
remaining parts of the continent. The boundary between the two
was first defined as an imaginary line extending 75 miles inland
from the coast of Alaska. Later this boundary was more precisely
defined with the current definition as follows:

A line of separation between the larger growing coastal brown
bear and the smaller interior grizzly has been developed such
that west and south of this line (to and including Unimak Island)
bear trophies are recorded as Alaska brown bear. North and east
of this line, bear trophies are recorded as grizzly bear. The
boundary line description is as follows: Starting at Pearse
Canal and following the Canadian-Alaskan boundary northwesterly
to Mt. St. Elias on the 141 degree meridian; thence north along
the Canadian-Alaskan boundary to Mt. Natazhat; thence west northwest
along the divide of the Wrangell Range to Mt. Jarvis at the
western end of the Wrangell Range; thence north along the divide
of the Mentasta Range to Mentasta Pass; thence in a general
westerly direction along the divide of the Alaska Range to Houston
Pass; thence westerly following the 62nd parallel of latitude
to the Bering Sea.

Polar bear must be taken in either United States or Canadian-held
water and/or land mass in order to be eligible. This definition
is necessary because of the wide range of polar bears in the far
northern hemisphere.

American, Roosevelts and Tule Elk

Tule elk boundary (shaded).

The Roosevelts elk category was established in 1980. Roosevelts
elk trophies have thicker, shorter antlers, and many of the largest
trophies develop crown points, a very distinctive feature.

Roosevelts elk are acceptable from Del Norte, Humboldt
and Trinity Counties, California, as well as that portion of Siskiyou
County west of I-5 in northern California; from west of Highway
I-5 in Oregon and Washington; from Vancouver Island, B.C.; and
from Afognak and Raspberry Islands of Alaska. The Alaskan animals
are the result of a successful transplant from the Olympic Peninsula
of Washington. To date no trophies from Alaska have been entered
that reach the current all-time records book minimum score of
290. Most of the entered trophies to date have come from coastal
Oregon and Washington, with a smaller number from Vancouver Island.

The tule elk category was established in 1998 by the Records
Committee after several years of careful and detailed review.
The geographical boundary for tule elk is as follows: That portion
of California within a line beginning at the junction of the Pacific
Ocean and the Ventura-Santa Barbara County line; north along the
Ventura-Santa Barbara County line to the Kern County line; east
along the Kern County line to Interstate Highway 5; north along
Interstate Highway 5 to the Kern County line; east along the Kern
County line to the San Bernardino County line; east along the
San Bernardino County line to the California-Nevada state line;
northwest along the California-Nevada state line to Interstate
Highway 50; west along Interstate Highway 50 to Interstate Highway
5 in Sacramento County; north along Interstate Highway 5 to the
Tehama County line; west along the Tehama County line to the Mendocino
County line; north and then west along the Mendocino County line
to US Highway 101; south along US Highway 101 to State Route 156
in Monterey County; southwest along State Route 156 to State Route
1 in Monterey County; south along State Route 1 to San Jose Creek
in Monterey County; south along San Jose Creek to the crest of
the Santa Lucia Range in Monterey County; southeast along the
crest of the Santa Lucia Range to State Route 41 in San Luis Obispo
County; southwest along State Route 41 to Morro Creek in San Luis
Obispo County; southwest along Morro Creek to the Pacific Ocean;
south along the Pacific Ocean to the point of beginning.

All other elk varieties, primarily from the Rocky Mountains,
are now referred to as either typical or non-typical American
elk.

Mule Deer, Columbia and Sitka Blacktail
Deer

Columbia and Sitka blacktail deer range

The problem of properly defining the boundary between the large
antlered mule deer, which ranges widely over most of the western
third of the United States and western Canada, and its smaller
relatives, the Columbia and Sitka blacktails of the West Coast,
has been difficult from the beginning of the records keeping.
The three varieties belong to the same species and thus are able
to interbreed readily where their ranges meet. The intent of the
Club in drawing suitable boundary lines is to exclude intergrades
from each of the three categories. These boundaries have been
redrawn as necessary, as more details have become known about
the precise ranges of these animals.

The current boundary for mule and Columbia blacktail deer is
as follows:

British Columbia  Starting at the Washington-British Columbia
border, blacktail deer range runs west of the height of land between
the Skagit and the Chilliwack Ranges, intersecting the Fraser
River opposite the mouth of Ruby Creek, then west to and up Harrison
Lake to and up Tipella Creek to the height of land in Garibaldi
Park and northwesterly along this divide past Alta Lake, Mt. Dalgleish
and Mt. Waddington, thence north to Bella Coola. From Bella Coola,
the boundary continues north to the head of Dean Channel, Gardner
Canal and Douglas Channel to the town of Anyox, then due west
to the Alaska-British Columbia border, which is then followed
south to open water. This boundary excludes the area west of the
Klesilkwa River and the west side of the Lillooet River.

Washington  Beginning at the Washington-British Columbia
border, the boundary line runs south along the west boundary of
North Cascades National Park to the range line between R10E and
R11E, Willamette Meridian, which is then followed directly south
to its intersection with the township line between T18N and T17N,
which is then followed westward until it connects with the north
border of Mt. Rainier National Park, then along the north, west
and south park boundaries until it intersects with the range line
between R9E and R10E, Willamette Meridian, which is then followed
directly south to the Columbia River near Cook.

Oregon  Beginning at Multnomah Falls on the Columbia River,
the boundary runs south along the western boundary of the National
Forest to Tiller in Douglas County, then south along Highway 227
to Highway 62 at Trail, then south following Highway 62 to Medford,
from which the boundary follows the range line between R1W and
R2W, Willamette Meridian, to the California border.

California  Beginning in Siskiyou County at the Oregon-California
border, the boundary lies between townships R8W and R9W M.D.M.,
extending south to and along the Klamath River to Hamburg, then
south along the road to Scott Bar, continuing south and then east
on the unimproved road from Scott Bar to its intersection with
the paved road to Mugginsville, then south through Mugginsville
to State Highway 3, which is then followed to Douglas City in
Trinity County, from which the line runs east on State Highway
299 to Interstate 5. The line follows Interstate 5 south to the
area of Anderson, where the Sacramento River moves east of Interstate
5, following the Sacramento River until it joins with the San
Joaquin River, which is followed to the south border of Stanislaus
County. The line then runs west along this border to the east
border of Santa Clara County. The east and south borders of Santa
Clara County are then followed to the south border of Santa Cruz
County, which is then followed to the edge of Monterey Bay.

On the Queen Charlotte Islands of British Columbia and along
the coast of Alaska ranges another subspecies of mule deer, the
Sitka blacktail. Accordingly, after a compilation of scores of
the largest Sitka blacktail deer trophies from southern Alaska
(including those from Kodiak Island where they have been transplanted),
a separate trophy category was established for Sitka blacktail
deer in 1984 with a minimum all-time records book entry score
of 108.

Sitka blacktails have been transplanted to the Queen Charlotte
Islands and are abundant there. Thus, the acceptable area for
this category includes southeastern Alaska and the Queen Charlotte
Islands of British Columbia.

Whitetail and Coues Deer
Whitetail deer range widely over North America, with recordable
trophies known from almost all of this range. The largest specimens
are more common from the northern states and southern Canada.
Although there is some sentiment for subdividing the range of
whitetails into more than two categories, with lower minimums
for the southern states, there are no natural boundaries to use
in such an effort. But, the tiny Coues whitetail of the
southwest is a different story. It has been recognized in a separate
trophy category since the start of the Clubs big game records
keeping in 1932. The acceptable area for Coues whitetail
deer entries is defined as central and southern Arizona and the
Mexican states of Sonora and Chihuahua. In New Mexico the Coues
whitetail deer boundary is defined as: the Arizona border to the
west, the New Mexico border to the south, the Rio Grande River
to the east and Interstate Highway 40 to the north.

Canada, Alaska-Yukon, and SHIRAS' Moose
The boundaries for the three classes of moose have remained essentially
unchanged since the beginning of the records keeping. But, hunting
opportunities for moose have increased in recent years so that
moose are now hunted in the Mackenzie Mountains of Northwest Territories,
northern Utah, northeastern Washington, northern Minnesota, Maine,
New Hampshire and Vermont.

The Alaska-Yukon moose category includes moose from Alaska, Yukon
Territory and Northwest Territories.
The Canada moose category includes moose from all of the remaining
provinces of Canada, plus Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North
Dakota and Vermont.

The Shiras moose category has the Canadian
border as its northern boundary. Its range includes all of the
Rocky Mountain region south of Canada and west to the Pacific
Ocean, including the following states: Colorado, Idaho, Montana,
Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

The various varieties of caribou, which vary widely in size and
antler configuration, have required subdivision of the species
into five different trophy categories: mountain, woodland, barren
ground, Central Canada barren ground, and Quebec-Labrador. Prior
to 1960, the classification of the different species and subspecies
of the world was in disarray. At that time, Frank Banfield (a
Canadian wildlife biologist) reviewed all of the available museum
specimens of the worlds caribou and reduced the number of
valid subspecies. Among his conclusions were that the new world
caribou and the old world reindeer should all be classified as
one species, but that northern barren ground caribou differ from
the more southerly distributed woodland caribou, both in Eurasia
and in North America.

The largest antlered caribou from North America are the Grants
variety from Alaska and northern Yukon Territory. These caribou,
called barren ground caribou for records-keeping purposes, have
long, rounded main beams with very long top points. They also
have the highest all-time records book minimum entry score of
400 points. (See below also for description of boundary between
barren ground caribou and mountain caribou in Yukon Territory.)

The so-called mountain caribou, now regarded as a variety of
woodland caribou, is found in British Columbia, Alberta, southern
Yukon Territory, and the Mackenzie Mountains of Northwest Territories.
In Yukon Territory, the boundary begins at the intersection of
the Yukon River with the boundary between Yukon Territory and
the state of Alaska. The boundary runs southeasterly following
the Yukon River upstream to Dawson; then easterly and southerly
along the Klondike Highway to Stewart Crossing; then easterly
following the road to Mayo; then northeasterly following the road
to McQuesten Lake; then easterly following the south shore of
McQuesten Lake and then upstream following the main drainage to
the divide leading to Scougale Creek to its confluence with the
Beaver River; then south following the Beaver River downstream
to its confluence with the Rackla River; then southeasterly following
the Rackla River downstream to its confluence with the Stewart
River; then northeasterly following the Stewart River upstream
to its confluence with the North Stewart River to the boundary
between Yukon Territory and Northwest Territories. North of this
line caribou are classified as barren ground caribou for records-keeping
purposes, while those specimens taken south of this line are considered
mountain caribou.

Central Canada barren ground caribou occur on Baffin Island and
the mainland of Northwest Territories, as well as in northern
Manitoba. The geographic boundaries in the mainland of Northwest
Territories are: the Mackenzie River to the west; the north edge
of the continent to the north (excluding any islands except Baffin
Island); Hudsons Bay to the east; and the southern boundary
of Northwest Territories to the south.

The boundary for Central Canada barren ground caribou in Manitoba
begins at the point of intersection of the south limit of township
87 with the provincial boundary between the provinces of Manitoba
and Saskatchewan. The boundary then follows this township line
east to the point of confluence with Waskaiowka Lake. From there
it proceeds in a northeasterly direction along the high-water
mark of the north shore of the aforementioned lake following the
sinuosities of the shoreline to the point of intersection with
the water connection to Hale Lake. From this point, the high-water
mark of the north shoreline is followed to the point of intersection
with the Little Churchill River. Henceforth, it follows the high-water
mark of the north or westerly shore of the Little Churchill River
including expansions of the river into lakes to the point of confluence
with the Churchill River. From there the boundary crosses the
mouth of the Little Churchill River and follows the high-water
mark on the south or easterly shore of the Churchill River to
the community of Churchill located on Hudson Bay.

Central Canada barren ground caribou boundary
in Manitoba (shaded).

Caribou taken in Manitoba north of the above described boundary
are now classified as Central Canada barren ground caribou.
The Quebec-Labrador caribou category was established in 1968.
This large woodland caribou has very wide, long-beamed antlers
with almost universally palmated bez formations. To have left
these animals in competition with the woodland caribou of Newfoundland
would have resulted in a complete swamping of the smaller-antlered
woodland caribou from Newfoundland. Boundaries for Quebec-Labrador
caribou are just as the name implies, Quebec and Labrador.

Woodland caribou are eligible for entry from Nova Scotia, Newfoundland
and New Brunswick. Woodland caribou occur sparingly all the way
across Canada to southern British Columbia. Although there may
be some open seasons in these provinces, they are not taken in
large numbers anywhere. It would seem inappropriate to place such
animals in competition with those from Newfoundland where they
have been regularly hunted for more than 100 years.

Bighorn, Desert, Dalls and Stones
Sheep
The wild sheep of North America belong in only two species, the
thin-horned sheep of northern British Columbia northward (Ovis
dalli), and the bighorn sheep ranging from central B.C. southward
to Baja, California (Ovis canadensis).

Dalls (or white) sheep range over much of Alaska, most
of Yukon Territory, and the Mackenzie Mountains of Northwest Territories.
Stones sheep occur primarily in northern British Columbia.
Where the ranges of these two subspecies meet, the intergrade
animals may range through a variety of dark gray shades to almost
white. This intergrade was, at one time, regarded as a separate
subspecies (Fannins sheep), but this form cannot really
be defined and the idea of a separate category for such animals
was rejected many years ago. After consultation with guides, knowledgeable
biologists and hunters, the decision was made that any thin-horned
sheep that shows any black hairs on the body is classified as
a Stones sheep, unless only the tail is black. In the case
of a black tail only, the trophy would be considered a Dalls
sheep. The area from which Fannin-type trophies are known is primarily
the Pelly Mountains of the southern Yukon. But, they might be
recorded from extreme northern British Columbia, and perhaps other
localities in the southern Yukon.

The bighorn sheep are separable into Rocky Mountain bighorn and
desert bighorn. Desert sheep are found in Nevada and southward
into and including Mexico, and eastward into Arizona and southern
New Mexico into extreme western Texas. Rocky Mountain bighorns
are found in the main Rocky Mountains northward into western Alberta
and southeastern British Columbia. Numerous bighorn sheep transplants
have been made in the Western states, some of which have been
spectacularly successful in restoring sheep to ancestral ranges.
In some cases, extremely high scoring trophies have come from
these transplanted animals or their progeny.

These transplants have resulted in problems for trophy recordation
in the case of the restoration of the so-called California bighorn,
which has flourished in natural populations only from central
and southcentral British Columbia. This subspecies originally
ranged from extreme northeastern California through eastern Oregon,
into eastern and central Washington, extreme southwestern Idaho,
and northward into central British Columbia. Successful transplants
from British Columbia have now been made into North Dakota (where
the now extinct Audubons sheep originally occurred), as
well as many other areas within the original range of the subspecies.
Currently, a few California bighorns are recorded in the listing
for Rocky Mountain bighorns, and these specimens are largely from
native animals taken in British Columbia. Since it appears that
California bighorns do not have as large horns as those from the
Rocky Mountains, there have naturally been requests to establish
a new trophy category for such animals. For now, they are considered
as Rocky Mountain bighorns for the records keeping.

Several years ago the Club started receiving Rocky Mountain bighorn
sheep from Greenlee County, Arizona, where specimens of this category
of sheep were transplanted a number of years ago. More recently,
the Club received a desert sheep from Mesa County, Colorado, where
specimens of this category were transplanted some years ago.

Atlantic and Pacific Walrus
To be eligible for entry, walrus trophies must be taken within
U.S., Canadian or Greenland waters and/or land areas. The geographical
boundary for Pacific walrus is: That portion of the Bering Sea
east of the International Dateline; south along coastal Alaska,
including the Pribilof Islands and Bristol Bay; extending eastward
into Canada to the southwest coasts of Banks and Victoria Islands
and the mouth of Bathurst Inlet in Nunavut Province (formerly
known as Northwest Territories).
The geographical boundary for Atlantic walrus is basically the
Arctic and Atlantic coasts south to Massachusetts. More specifically
the Atlantic walrus boundary in Canada extends westward to Mould
Bay of Prince Patrick Island, to just east of Cape George Richards
of Melville Island and to Taloyoak, Nunavut Province (formerly
known as Spence Bay, Northwest Territories); and eastward to include
trophies taken in Greenland.

Bison

Bison exist as wild, free-ranging herds in their
original setting in very few places. They are eligible for entry in B&C from states and provinces that recognize them as wild and free-ranging big game animals and for which a hunting license and big game tag are issued. The table lists the specific areas within those states and rovinces from which bison are accepted.

Muskox
Beginning with the 8th (1981) edition of the all-time records
book, the two previously recognized categories of muskox (Greenland
and barren ground) were combined into a single category. Muskox
from Alaska, Canada and Greenland are all eligible for entry into
the single category recognized today.

Jaguar
Jaguar must be taken north of the south boundary of Mexico (the
southern boundary of North America for big-game records keeping
purposes) in order to be eligible.